Two by Two

Too often when we read the stories of Jesus and the Apostles we imagine them as if they were unworldly. We look past the fact these people were just as common as we are. They were all called by Jesus to be a part of his inner circle, to impart the Good News of God’s Truth to them. Other disciples were sent two by two (almost sounds like he was unloading an ark of people) to pass on His teachings. Scripture relates how they healed the sick, raised the dead, and preached in the town squares and on the streets after being warned by emperors not to. And then we hear the horrific stories of how most of them were martyred for their faith. There seems to be no way we could live up to these expectations. So we shy away from encounters of our own when we are met with the opportunity to pass on the Good News we’ve heard to others. For some reason we either declare ourselves not worthy to be the ones in this day and age to proclaim any words at all; or we stay within ourselves because we don’t want to appear pushy like those who knock on our own doors two by two, asking us if we’ve been saved.

I can hear some of you thinking right now, “Our Deacon is about to try and send us out into the town knocking on doors!” No, I’m not. But what I will do and what I have told you and am going to tell you again and again is to keep doing the things you do best to spread the Good News through your actions in the community. We come from every walk of life with every kind of good or bad experiences in the world. We could say “I don’t have the education (money, prestige, whatever your reason is) to do this.” God doesn’t call on those already qualified to do His work, He calls the people to Him and then gives them the qualifications to lead. We feel something in us that just we just can’t let go of and walk into church to find out what that could be. We are like the Apostles. Jesus knew they had only the minimum amount of education – if any – one could get in those days. He knew they didn’t come from a line of royal blood with acres of land and vaults of money that could be used to fund the ministry. But what He did know was that those he called could be counted on to continue spreading the Good News long after He was gone from this world. And that is what we have been called to do. In whatever form or whatever qualification you have or don’t have yet, you have been called to spread the Good News to the homeless, the sick, the incarcerated, the needy, and yes, even those who appear to have everything. We do this well here at St. Luke’s. Let’s ensure we continue doing them because it is the work Jesus has called us to do and qualified us for, just like the Apostles.